Remains of the Day
by chi-no-katsubo
Summary: As Yuuki continues to be torn between the love of her savior and the love of her fellow prefect; Kaname is burdened with the memories of his earlier years with Yuuki and the uncertainty of remaining part of her life.  Kaname x Yuuki


**Authors Note: **I'll try to keep everyone in-character. No beta readers at the moment but if you're interested feel free to PM me (I'd prefer betas who have written VK fanfiction). The story loosely follows the plot of the anime and begins after Yuuki discovers Zero is a vampire. This started off as an incredibly long one-shot but I decided to edit it into short chapters; so if it seems like the chapters end abruptly-well, they do.

**Rating:** M (for later chapters)  
**Pairings:** Kaname x Yuuki  
**Genre:** Romance/Angst

* * *

As he took a step closer, Yuuki knew she wouldn't be lucky enough to escape his grasp a second time. She shut her eyes, back pressed against the banister of the stairwell, waiting for the end to come. Her heart was beating wildly, she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. So loud in fact, that she almost didn't hear him call her name.

"Yuuki?"

She didn't want to open her eyes. Didn't want to see the monster that spoke with Zero's voice. But as he whispered her name again, she could hear the pain and confusion in his voice. Yuuki's eyes flew open and her gaze met Zero's. His eyes no longer glowing, were now full of anguish and fear.

"Zero. Are you—"

Her mouth would not let her form the word. Yuuki cast her gaze downwards, watching the blood from her neck dripping onto the ground next to her feet.

"I am."

She let out a choked sob, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. At that moment she couldn't have felt more upset; to have spent so many years with him and not have known? Yuuki's vision began to blur, she shut her eyes to keep the room from spinning.

"Yuuki, I—"

Zero's voice was cut off by approaching footsteps, the sound coming closer and then stopping. They both turned their heads in the direction of the sound, inspecting the dark stairwell for their intruder.

"Have you really sunk so low as to harm the one who cares for you?" A voice called from the darkness. Footsteps echoed in the empty stairwell as the intruder approached the two, revealing himself.

Kaname walked slowly towards the pair, stepping in front of Yuuki to face Zero. Yuuki stared at Kaname's back, a nightmarish feeling washing over her. She wanted to tell Kaname that she was okay, that she didn't need him to intervene on her behalf, but she couldn't manage the strength to even speak. Yuuki watched as Kaname took a step towards Zero, her stomach twisting into knots. She had to stop Kaname, he would surely kill Zero.

"Kaname-senpai! No!" She used the last of her strength, hurling her body in front of Kaname in an attempt to shield Zero. The last thing she saw were Zero's terrified eyes, then her whole world went black.

When she awoke in the school infirmary, everything went by in a confusing haze. She could vaguely register a short conversation with Kaname; could feel his fingers brushing against her throat as he examined her punctured neck.

"Does it hurt?"

"Huh?" She was kneeling on the infirmary floor, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Her head was spinning and the tears clouded her vision. Yuuki felt numb, only moving to wipe the tears making a slow path down her cheeks. She didn't even notice Kaien enter the room as Kaname slowly stood up and exited. He knelt down beside her, speaking slowly, filling her head with excuses as to why he couldn't manage to tell her of Zero's situation sooner. Yuuki was heartbroken. Zero had suffered all this time, miserable and alone, hating himself. She wasn't even able to help him.

If she had only known.

.

.

Yuuki sat silently on the edge of her bed, hand slowly reaching up towards her neck. Her fingers brushed against the bandage; tangible evidence of the past events clearly stuck to her skin. She stood up, knees trembling slightly.

_Zero…is a vampire._

The thought mulled around in her brain but never managed any cohesion. Was the newly acquired knowledge that Zero was a vampire really what was bothering her? Or was it the fact that she had once again been left in the dark? This brought up even more questions than it answered. Yuuki sighed heavily. She needed to wash away this entire day, so she trudged wearily into the bathroom.

_I don't belong. I don't belong with anyone._

She kicked off her shoes, nudging them into the corner of the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed she looked as terrible as she felt. After painfully drifting apart from Kaname these past few years, she took comfort in knowing that she wouldn't have to lose Zero as well. She had come to the realization that Kaname's world wasn't a place for her, for a human. Now she felt even more isolated. Whatever she shared with Zero, what very little she believed they had in common was all just a farce.

Yuuki unbuttoned her shirt and placed it on the counter beside the sink. She would have to remember to rinse the blood off her collar before she tossed it into the hamper. After removing the remainder of her clothes she leaned against the wall, letting her body slide down until she was sitting on the floor. She wondered if she even had the energy to bathe herself.

Another fifteen minutes passed before Yuuki decided to run the bath water. The tub filled quickly with scathing hot water; steam filled the bathroom leaving the room murky and suffocatingly humid. She gritted her teeth as she eased herself into the tub, skin burning beneath the water. Yuuki closed her eyes as the steam drifted around her, blurring her vision. She reached for the bandage on her neck and quickly ripped it off, flinging it over the side of the tub. Her neck throbbed where she had been bitten.

She sank lower into the tub, letting the water wash over her aching neck. Yuuki's mind replayed the scene again. She could feel his hand grasping at her wrist as she tried to walk away. She saw the bandage unravel and fall off of her hand. And before it could even hit the floor, she felt his chest pressed against her back. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other around her waist as he slowly licked the side of her neck. Yuuki shook her head trying to rid herself of the vision but it continued despite her best efforts to forget.

She would never forget the shock she felt and the slow realization as her mind finally pulled the pieces together revealing the clear and obvious truth. Even as his fangs pierced her neck and her eyes caught sight of the blood tablets scattered on the floor by his feet, even then, she tried to deny it. The shock faded quickly though and was replaced by fear. Yuuki remembered how terrified she was as she mustered what little strength she had to shove Zero away from her. She remembered how the blood felt as it seeped between her fingers while she frantically pressed a hand to her neck. But above all else, she remembered how his eyes glowed a bright crimson as he slowly wiped a sleeve across his blood smeared face.

Yuuki sank lower into the tub until every inch of her was submerged. She slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the ceiling under the softly rippling water. She lay completely still, watching as the last few bubbles escaped from her mouth and drifted up to the surface. Her lungs began to burn and she sat up quickly, gasping for air while leaning over the side of the tub.

"Zero." She whispered his name quietly in the empty bathroom. Sighing loudly, Yuuki hugged the cool porcelain and shut her eyes once more.

-  
Several weeks later …  
-

Zero was trying his hardest to concentrate. He held the gun up, aiming at a distant target, and quickly fired off another four rounds. The empty shells fell to the floor beside his feet and he kicked them away angrily.

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath, slowly falling into the chair next to him. Zero sat with his head between his knees, letting the gun dangle haphazardly in his right hand. He was irritated, among other things. Zero had turned into the one thing he despised most.

_You're a monster. A monster parading around as a human._

"Shut up!" He screamed, clutching both hands to either side of his head. He jumped to his feet, gun in hand, firing the last two shots at the targets head. Zero gritted his teeth, sweat stinging his eyes as he panted and shaked. He slowly lowered the gun, placing it gently onto the table.

_Why the sad face?_ The monster chuckled lightly.

"What do want from me!" Zero screamed into the empty firing range. No one answered and he became even more infuriated. He grabbed Bloody Rose and exited the room quickly, hoping to outrun the voice that had been plaguing him for so long now.

As Zero retreated to his dorm, he silently prayed not to cross paths with Yuuki. But as he approached his door and found her dozing quietly in the hall, he knew he would have no such luck.

"What are you doing here?" He nudged her thigh with his foot, reaching into his pocket for his keys.

She yawned and stretched, eyes opening slowly. "I was waiting for you."

"You shouldn't be here. Go back to your room."

Yuuki stood up quickly, balling her small hands into fists. Her expression was indignant. "Hey! I'm just here to help you out. So you might want to be a little nicer to me!" She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Zero had already unlocked the door and made his way inside before she could even finish her sentence. She followed behind him, shutting the door silently.

"Come on." Yuuki grabbed his hand and dragged him into the bathroom. Zero halted, standing in the doorway apprehensively.

"What's with you? Aren't you hungry?"

"No." He turned his head away from her gaze, staring blankly at the wall.

She sighed, growing increasingly more annoyed. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be Zero." Yuuki said quietly.

He walked towards her gently pushing her into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. The routine was as it always had been. Neither of them found any pleasure; it was merely an obligation.

"Wait." Yuuki unbuttoned her blouse and removed it, quietly folding the shirt up and placing it on the counter. She slowly sat on the floor beside the tub and motioned for Zero to come to her.

Zero sighed, he felt ashamed for what he was about to do. In the weeks since he had begun feeding from Yuuki, that same feeling of shame had not subsided nor had his thirst. He knelt down next to her and sat silently. His heart was heavy with thoughts of Yuuki.

"Zero?" she extended her arm, placing a small hand on his knee. He remained silent, refusing to even look at her. Yuuki scooted closer to him until her knees brushed against his. "Zero, look at me."

He raised his head to meet her gaze, eyes filled with sadness. She smiled at him, pressing her hand to his cheek. "It's okay Zero. Really, it is. I know you would do the same for me."

Zero knew he didn't deserve her kindness and certainly not her blood. He was greedy, wanting to take anything she offered him, no matter the pain it caused himself. He wanted so much more than just a means to sustain himself; he wanted _her_. Zero's gaze trailed downward until he found himself staring at Yuuki's lips. He watched her mouth move as she continued to talk but was no longer paying attention to what she was saying. In that moment, Zero selfishly decided to take something he had wanted for so long.

He gently placed his hands on her face, marveling at how warm and delicate she was. Yuuki's eyes went wide as she caught a glimpse of something she had never seen in him before. His face lowered towards hers and before she could protest, their lips met.

The feeling of her mouth against his drove him nearly to the edge. His hands fell from her face, dropping down as he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist.

Yuuki's cheeks flushed a bright red, the kiss had caught her completely off guard. Her brain kept telling her to push him away but apparently the message never reached her extremities. She felt Zero's arms as they wrapped around her waist; heard the sound of his muffled groaned as his mouth continued to explore hers.

Something warm grew in the pit of her stomach, but it stopped as quickly as it began. Thoughts of Kaname rushed into her mind, replacing her sudden feelings of euphoria with guilt and uncertainty.

Zero felt Yuuki pull away from him. He started to reach for her but quickly decided against it. "It's because of him, isn't it?" He gritted his teeth, glaring at her.

Yuuki stared at her lap, crushing the fabric of her skirt in her hands. "I'm sorry." She apologized weakly.

He should have known better than to think Yuuki would ever be his. Her blood said more than her words ever would. With every drop he swallowed he could see how much she cared for him. "Just leave." He said dejectedly.

"But Zero, you didn't even—"

"Get. Out." Zero spat between clenched teeth.

Yuuki was nearly in tears, she stood up and reached for her shirt. Zero watched her and was flooded with guilt. He hadn't meant to hurt her.

She turned towards Zero and opened her mouth as if she were about to speak, but slowly closed it. Yuuki pulled on her shirt, rushing out of the bathroom. He stood there silently as he heard the door slam shut.

.

.

Kaname sat quietly in his room, thumbing through a stack of papers. Exhaling softly, he stood up and made his way over to the bed. The longing he felt was beginning to take a toll on him. Being so close to the one he loved yet unable to truly be with them; it was almost too much to bear.

He sat down and pulled a tiny black box out of his pocket, shaking a white tablet into his hand. Kaname dropped the small white pill into the glass of water on his nightstand, watching as it sank to the bottom staining the water a sickly pink.

After consuming his lunch he glanced at his watch realizing it was time to sleep. He stared at the canopy above his bed for what seemed like an eternity when his eyes finally shut, allowing him much needed rest.

When he opened his eyes again, he knew immediately it was a dream. Kaname was sitting in the grass outside his old home; he could see Yuuki in the distance, running around giggling with pigtails in her hair. He stretched out on the lawn, raising his arms high above his head, tilting his face to look at the sun.

Kaname watched as Yuuki played, screaming happily as she jumped and tumbled in the grass. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the sound of Yuuki's laughter.

_"Onii-sama! Onii-sama!"_ Yuuki ran towards him, grinning wildly.

Yuuki threw herself into Kaname's arms, plopping down hard on his lap. Her face was round and chubby, she looked no more than six or seven years old. He wrapped his arms around the small girl, burying his face in her hair.

_"My sweet little Yuuki."_ He mumbled quietly, the sadness evident in his voice.

She looked up at him, still smiling._ "You have to leave now, don't you?"_

Kaname nodded slowly and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead. He could feel the dream fading away as Yuuki disappeared, replaced by a cold, empty bed.


End file.
